THE OYSTER-CATCHER. 129 



abundant there, Mere more frequently in groups than in pairs, 

 though it was the breeding season." On the north-east coast, 

 also, this may frequently be observed. On some parts of the 

 broad summits of the lofty precipitous cliffs at the peninsula of 

 the Horn, in Donegal, these birds were in parties at the end of 

 June 1832. In the same month of 1834 they were similarly 

 associated on the sands of Clew Bay, county of Mayo. At this 

 season they may likewise be observed scattered in pahs over the 

 shore of the largest of the Copeland Islands (Down), where 

 they breed, as well as about the islands of Strangford lough, 

 where, however, a pair only will be seen occupying some of the 

 very small islets. When I visited this lough on the 20th and 

 21st of June, 1832, three eggs were found on the bare gravel, 

 about two yards above high-water mark on Skart Rock. They 

 were known to our boatmen as those of the oyster-catcher, as 

 they had often found similar ones before. A pair of these birds, 

 calling loudly, kept flying incessantly about us just out of shot, 

 when we were on and adjacent to the islet, thus affording circum- 

 stantial evidence of the nest being theirs. The eggs, not agree- 

 ing with what I had seen figured as the oyster-catchers, were 

 carefully kept : — on after-comparison with Mr. YarrelTs descrip- 

 tion they were found to agree with it, being " yellowish stone- 

 colour, spotted with ash-grey, and dark brown." In the same 

 number of words they could not be better described ; but, con- 

 sidering how they differ from other eggs found in similar situations, 

 they may be described as displaying spots and variously-formed 

 markings (some of which are linear) of ash-brown and dark 

 grey disposed over the entire shell, though not numerously. 

 I am thus particular, from the circumstance of the egg being 

 very differently figured in works upon the subject. Montagu, 

 too, describes it to be " olivaceous brown, blotched with 

 black : somewhat larger than that of the lapwing ; " — neither 

 colour nor size agreeing with mine, which are nearly twice 

 the size of lapwings' eggs. A person at Dunfanaghy, county 

 of Donegal, who attended us in 1832 as guide to the bird- 

 haunts about Horn Head, stated that he had robbed not less 



VOL. II. k 



